Growing Basics

The amount of time your seeds should soak in cool water. Soaking is how we begin the sprouting process in most cases.

Rinse / Drain

2 times per day

How often your seeds should be watered. Rinsing thoroughly and then draining as much water as possible are key components to growing great sprouts.

Harvest

2 - 3 days

The time it takes to grow a finished Sprout, or other crop (Micro-Greens, Grass, Greens) from a dry Seed. Note: This "finished" Sprout is our preference. you may grow them for as long as you want! In fact, we suggest that you taste them at every rinse to discover when you like them best.

Yield

1.75 to 1

The amount of Sprouts, Grass, Greens or Micro-Greens produced by 1 unit of Seed. For Example 2:1 means that 1 pound of Seed will produce 2 pounds of Sprouts or whatever crop you are growing. You do not have to grow them all at once of course, unless you wish to =:-D

Seed Prep Measure out 2/3 Cup of seed* Pick out anything you don't think should be there (shell or plant pieces, imperfect seeds, etc.) if you wish (we don't). Rinse your seeds to remove dust or debris.

Soak Transfer your seeds into your Sprouter, or a bowl. Add 2-3 times as much cool (60-70 degree) water. Mix seeds up to assure even water contact for all. Allow seeds to Soak for 8-12 hours.

Note: There are some seeds in these bird mixes whose sprouting instructions call for less soaking. Fear not. In the interest of convenience we have mixed all the seeds together - and we can tell you from vast experience, they will sprout quite well if you follow the directions here.

Sprouting Empty the seeds into your Sprouter (if necessary). Drain off the soak water. You can use it - it has nutrients in it. We use it to water potted plants.

Always be sure to Drain very thoroughly. The most common cause of inferior sprouts is inadequate Draining. Even the best designed Sprouting Device holds water, so pay special attention to this step.

Set your Sprouter anywhere out of direct sunlight and at room temperature (70° is optimal) between Rinses. This is where your sprouts do their growing. We use a counter top - in the corner of our kitchen, but where the sprouter won't get knocked over by cats, dogs, kids or us. We don't mind the indirect sunlight or the 150 watts of incandescent light, because light just does not matter much. A plant can only perform photosynthesis when it has leaves, and unless you are growing these sprouts into plants, they definitely are not going to have leaves. Until a plant has leaves, light has little if any effect. Sprouts also happen to like air-circulation, so don't hide your sprouts.

We usually stop here. Most of your seeds will now have little roots. Not all of the seeds are intended to germinate in this amount of time but, as soon as a seed soaks up water its nutritional value skyrockets, its enzymes are no longer inhibited! So know that what you are feeding your friends is beyond compare - Root or no Root!

We think you should consider your crop done when most of the seeds have roots. They are ready to feed! You may grow them longer if you like - experiment to see what your bird likes best.

Depending on your climate and the time of year you are sprouting, and most importantly your personal preference - You may Rinse and Drain again - at 8-12 hour intervals for several days. However - we prefer to sprout only to the point where most of the seeds have sprouted tiny (1/16 - 1/4 inch) roots, which is typically after just 2 or 3 Rinse and Drain cycles.

Harvest Your sprouts are done 8-12 hours after your final Rinse. Be sure to Drain them as thoroughly as possible after that final Rinse. The goal during the final 8-12 hours is to minimize the surface moisture of your sprouts. They will store best in your refrigerator if they are dry to the touch.

Refrigerate Transfer your sprout crop to a plastic bag, our shelf life extending Produce Storage Bags, or the sealed container of your choice (glass is good too). Whatever you choose - put them in your refrigerator - if you can keep your flock from eating them all first.

*Seed to Use If using Sproutpeople's Single Harvest Pack - use the whole bag - to get an approximately 8 ounce crop.

These seeds will yield approximately 1.75:1 (you get 1.75 pounds for every pound of dry seed), so in theory you can start with as much as 1/2 the dry seed, your Sprouter has capacity. We generally advise maxing out at 1/3 capacity, until you get used to growing this crop. You can also grow as little at a time as you wish, and grow a tiny crop.

Smaller birds will love this beautiful mix of 27 seeds - all from sources which are certified organic - and so will your big birds =:-D As we've said, the name of the mix indicates the relative size of the seeds in that mix. Our avian advisors assure us that any size bird can enjoy any of our mixes. A smaller bird will just take longer to eat a larger seed, while a bigger bird will go through these faster..

If there is anything unique about our current seed, we will tell you about it here. Seed Shelf Life: 2 years. Store in cool, dark, dry spot. Store in freezer to extend shelf life.

Seed Storage

Bird Mixes are best stored in a cool location. We suggest a freezer, but a refrigerator works well too. If you plan on storing it for more than 3 months, or you purchase it during a warm season; you should use one of those cool locations. Also, there are some seeds in the mix which are pleasing to a particular pest - the Indian Meal Moth, which can appear out of nowhere when conditions are right (hot). These are organic seeds after all, so there is no other way to keep your seeds absolutely safe from them, except to freeze them. Consider yourself further informed =:-}

Plants for Birds?

Some folks have told us that birds also like these seeds grown into plants - on soil. And that birds are well served nutritionally by the soil as well as the plants.

If you are interested in growing our mixes on soil we can tell you that they work quite well, and that all you need is a container with drainage.

Follow these directions if you wish to grow our Bird Mixes into plants:

Sprout your seeds as detailed above, to the point that some of the seeds show the smallest possible Roots, or better yet, just the hint of a Root.

Spread seeds evenly on thoroughly moistened soil.

Cover the container.

Place in a low-light, room temperature location. (70° is always optimal)

Water lightly every day. The goal is to keep the seeds moist (as with all sprouts) until their roots bury themselves in the soil - at which point your goal is to keep the soil moist.

You may uncover your plants at the point when most have sent roots into the soil, or you may wait a few days until your plants are an inch or two tall. Move to a well lit location to turn 'em green. If you use direct sunlight be prepared to do more watering. Keep them moist. Watch them grow. Water from the side, to prevent injuring the tiny plants.

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Mackenzie

10/25/2017

Bought these for my green cheek who only picks at his chop every morning. The seeds sprout with good length tails by about day 3 so its hardly any work. Mix in a small spoonful of these with his chop and he gobbles it all down. I also got the easy sprout sprouter, works like a charm. I have sprouted him new seeds about 4 times now and still can't tell if I've made a dent in the one pound bag.

Cindy

Verified Purchase

6/21/2017

My baby cockatiel Ziggy loves, loves this stuff! My vet loves it too and so much better than the yucky food at the pet shops! Thanks for thinking of our pets!

Geneva Coats

3/29/2017

My canaries LOVE the sprouts produced by your small and mid-bird mixes. I'm a canary breeder and appreciate having good fresh seed to sprout for them! I mix sprouts with soft food for the parents to rear their young. Thank you for making these fabulous mixes available!!! The most common nutritional deficiency in birds is vitamin A deficiency. Sprouts and other greens should be fed daily to birds, along with some egg a few times a week to provide vitamin D and complete protein.... Sure, you can buy a "dead" seed mix with vitamins sprayed on, but sprouts provide enzymes and other micronutrients to maintain optimal health.

Claire

8/16/2016

My canary absolutely loves sprouts! They're much better for him that the cheap, old petshop seeds. Along with organic fruits, veggies, and high-quality pellets, they offer excellent nutrition!

jamie

7/20/2016

My lovebird is very particular about food but after being somewhat confused she devoured all of it!

Tracy

5/9/2016

Good is never cheap and this sprout mix is definitely worth the cost! At first my Bourke Parakeets didn't know what fresh food was (came from a breeder), but now they get their cup of fresh sprouts twice a day and choose to eat them first over all over foods/seeds/treats offered. I know it is the healthiest thing for them and totally safe, so I'll keep re-ordering because our pets are worth it, right?!

Mary

8/10/2015

Sunny can't wait for me to open his jar of sprouts. He sticks his head in and grabs his favorite. I wish I could order a bag of that seed only,

kelly

2/20/2015

Feed these to my ducks and quail as a part of a balanced diet. They love them. Will have to get a bigger sprouter system!

Terry

12/22/2014

These are with out a doubt the best birdie sprouts My two parakeets will not eat any other kind Will not buy any other for them My picky eater amazes me with how many of these he will eat

Marie S

10/3/2014

My birds absolutely love these sprouts and hurry to their bowls to eat them every morning! They sprout very fast and easy using the Easy Sprouter so I am able to always have plenty on hand to keep my birds happy and healthy!